Birth of the Sith - Part Two: Wipeout
by teej.318
Summary: Three years since the Battle of Ord Mantell, Jedi Master Solin Malice travels to Korriban in attempt to redeem his old friend, Vulcan Gunner, the Sith Lord Nacluv. But his mission will prove difficult for not only Solin, but his former apprentice, Keira Port, his old master Sabe Organa and Keira's apprentice Ngema Resor.
1. Loss

_The Republic is at war. Ever since the Battle of Ord Mantell three years ago, the Army of the Republic has discovered other world occupied by the forces of Malastare's allies, including the Order of the Sith Lords._

 _Jedi Master Solin Malice has been growing concerned about his former friend, Vulcan Gunner, the founder of the Sith, ever since their last meeting on Ord Mantell._

 _Hoping to redeem his old friend and restore peace and justice to the galaxy, Solin is preparing to travel to Korriban, where he has discovered the location of a Dark Jedi Academy..._

* * *

Solin pressed the button to be admitted into Keira's quarters. Standing just inside the doorway was A6-R4, Keira's light blue astro droid that matched Keria's lightsaber and her Jedi robes. A6 whistled excitedly at Solin as he walked into the room.

"It's good to see you, too, A6," Solin said. "I wish I had brought T2 with me so you two could catch up. It's been too long since you both have had a chance to outdo one another on your skills and abilities."

A6 whistled an indignant reply, causing Solin to laugh. "All right, that will just be between you and me," he said as he reached the center of Keira's quarters, where his former apprentice was monitoring her own apprentice, Ngema Resor, in an exercise with her lightsaber. Ngema deactivated her lightsaber when she saw Solin walk into the room. Keira turned and smiled when she saw Solin.

"Well, isn't this a nice surprise?" said Keira as she stood up and hurried over to Solin and pulled him into a hug.

"I'm sorry to come unannounced," Solin replied as they broke apart and he hugged Ngema. "I just had to come and tell you the news in person."

"What did the Council say?"

"Well, they certainly don't like the idea of a Jedi traveling alone to a planet where there is a Dark Jedi Academy, but they know why I have to go to Korriban. They authorized me to go, so I'm going to leave as soon as possible."

"Oh, Solin!" Keira exclaimed, sounding concerned. "You've got to be careful!"

"I always am, Keira, you know that."

"Yes, but you're also reckless."

Solin snorted. "Who me? Never!"

"I'm serious! You've got to be extremely careful when you're in that Dark Jedi Academy. It's going to be hard enough with a bunch of Sith apprentices surrounding you, it's going to be worse if Vulcan is there."

"He has to be," Solin insisted. "It's the only planet with an academy of its kind that the Republic has discovered. I'm sure he is going to be there, waiting for me. I think he knows I'm coming. I can feel his presence in the Force and I'm sure he can feel mine."

"Well, what are you going to do if he somehow manages to capture you?" Ngema asked. "You won't exactly be able to contact us while in custody!"

"I've already thought about that: I've programmed T2 to flee Korriban in my Starfighter if he hasn't heard from me after a certain amount of time. He'll return here and tell you that he's lost contact."

"Wow, you have thought of everything," Keira said. "I'm impressed."

"Now, Keira, they wouldn't have made me a Jedi Master if I hadn't thought of everything during my missions, now would they?"

Keira smirked at him. "If you say so," she said, causing Solin to hesitate for a moment. "What is it?"

"Oh, that phrase 'If you say so,' Vulcan used to say it all the time when he was a Jedi."

"Well, he's not the only one who gets to say that," Keira said with a chuckle. "You be careful when you confront him, Solin. I mean it."

"I will be, Keira. I promise."

"May the Force be with you, old friend," Keira said.

"May the Force be with you, Keira and Ngema."

* * *

Solin screamed in agony as the Force Lightning hit his body, sending shockwaves through him and causing a pain he had never experienced. Nacluv laughed loudly as he tortured Solin.

"Dear, Solin, you have much resolve," Nacluv said after this particularly nasty attack. "I can sense the Dark Side in you, old friend. You long to use it."

"I'll never fall prey to the Dark Side, Vulcan!" Solin retorted, attempting to control his anger. "You'll have to kill me if you want to be successful!"

"Kill you? Oh, no, no, no. This is merely a taste of the Dark Side to whet your appetite. When you embrace the Dark Side, Solin, it will be willingly."

"Never!"

Nacluv simply laughed and blasted another wave of Force Lightning at Solin, whose screams started again. The intensity of the lighting was greater than ever and it slowly weakened Solin's will; he could feel the anger rising in him, threatening to take over his existence. It was as if a virus was spreading through his body so quickly that it would overwhelm him before he could fight back.

After what seemed an eternity, Solin finally gave in to his anger. It was consuming him completely to the point where he could no longer fight it. Instead, he embraced his anger and used it to shoot lighting out of his own hands, successfully breaking the chains and freeing himself. He fell to his knees in pain, but Nacluv finally relented on attacking him.

"Good," Nacluv mused, standing over Solin, looking triumphant. "You have embraced the power of the Dark Side, Solin. I am pleased to see you using your abilities for yourself, instead of for the foolish Jedi way. And you were able to use your powers to free yourself, something none of my esteemed apprentices have done."

At that, Nacluv glanced around at all of the apprentices who surrounded them. He had ordered them into this chamber to witness the fall of one of the greatest Jedi in the Order.

"Because of that and because of our history, Solin, you will become my apprentice and serve as my second-in-command of the Order of the Sith Lords."

Sighing briefly, Solin looked up at Nacluv; his eyes had turned yellow, a sign that the Dark Side had consumed him completely.

"Thank you, my Master," Solin said in a flat tone.

"Rise," Nacluv commanded. Solin obeyed. "Now then, my apprentices, you will answer to Solin here as my new second in command!"

"Like hell I will!" snarled Tosan Inte, whose title had just been stripped. "He is not worthy of being your second-in-command, my Lord! I have proved myself!"

Nacluv laughed. "Perhaps Solin can prove he has earned his place as my right hand."

"He'll only to that if he can defeat me in combat!" Tosan shouted, igniting his lightsaber.

"My pleasure!" Solin retorted, igniting his green blade and leaping toward Tosan, who had just enough time to block his attack.

The two Sith apprentices entered what would be a deadly duel if they had not been evenly matched. Though Tosan had long trained for combat against Jedi, he had not fought a fellow apprentice in some time and found himself slightly overwhelmed by Solin's brutality. Solin, for his part, found using his anger to assist in his abilities was much easier than simply using the Force to assist him.

After several moments of dueling, Solin and Tosan entered a lock. They were held together for several seconds before Solin broke the hold and sliced at Tosan's head, smashing the mask he always wore to hide his face. Solin then kicked Tosan to the ground, sending his foe's lightsaber away. He pointed his lightsaber down at Tosan and got a look at his face for the first time. Solin started to laugh as he realized who Tosan truly was and wondered how he did not already know it. He then raised his lightsaber to deliver the killing blow.

"Enough!" Nacluv shouted. Solin stopped moving at Nacluv's command. "That will do, Solin, but do not kill Tosan. You have proven yourself worthy as my apprentice, but Tosan still has his uses, as I'm sure you can see now that his mask is destroyed and you know his identity."

Solin smirked at Tosan before turning off his lightsaber and walking over to Nacluv. Tosan scrambled to his feet, wordlessly retrieved his lightsaber and took his place with his fellow apprentices.

"As I'm sure you all have seen, any of you would be foolish to try and fight Solin for his position," Nacluv said. "Though the time will come that one of you is worthy enough to confront him. That is the way of the Sith: the strongest always prevail. For now, though, Solin will assist Lord Tobos with training our new recruits at this Academy. You will all answer to him and show him the same respect and lust for power you should myself and Lord Tobos. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Lord Nacluv!" the apprentices yelled in unison.


	2. Request

Keira and Ngema stood before the Jedi Council. Though the Council's makeup hadn't changed much over the years, Solin's empty seat was noticeable and his absence felt like a wound.

"Keira, Ngema," Sabe Organa said by way of greeting. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

"I think we both know the answer to that, Master Organa," Keira replied in an irritated tone.

Sabe nodded at her. "It's about, Solin, I know."

"It's been a month since he went to Korriban and T2 came back without him. Solin hasn't made any contact with us since he left. We've got to assume something happened to Solin and I believe we all have a right to know what that was exactly!"

"Keira, I understand your frustrations, I do," Sabe said kindly. "But the Council cannot spare the resources for a full-scale rescue mission because of the war."

"I understand, Master Organa, which is why I've already gathered a small group to go to Korriban and search for Solin. And I am prepared to lead that group."

"You have?" said Sabe. Keira nodded at him. "I see. Well, who have you gathered to complete this mission?"

"My apprentice has agreed to come with me," Keira said, gesturing to Ngema. "I have also contacted Bazila Sniggiw and her partner, Y'not Yorbyn, a Wookie, and they have agreed to help find Solin as well."

"And who exactly are these people and what is their connection to Solin?"

"Bazila is something of a smuggler. She works with Y'not to carry out jobs for people. She grew up on Taris in the Lower City and she had to learn to defend herself. She's extremely capable of handling herself in this mission. She and Y'not met Solin on one of his missions that took him to Taris and they worked together to bring down a powerful crime lord.

"Now, they may be capable, and Ngema and I can certainly lead this mission to find Solin, but I beg you, Masters, send who you can with us. If we have at least one Jedi Master with us, we will have a better chance of finding Solin and rescuing him, and if we need to, redeem him. It's no secret that he went after the Sith, so I wouldn't at all be surprised if he has been seduced by the Dark Side of the Force."

At that, several of the Council members glanced at one another, apparently pleased that Keira had sorted out all of these details herself.

"Very well, Keira, you have certainly created a compelling argument," said Sabe. "Would you please give us a moment to deliberate?"

"Thank you, Masters," Keira said before she and Ngema bowed in respect and walked out of the room.

Once outside the chambers, they saw a red light shine on the control panel, a sign the Council was in deliberation and not to be disturbed.

"What do you think?" Ngema asked. "Will they send us help?"

"If they were listening and understand the potential for danger they will," Keira replied. "And if I know Master Organa, he may simply agree to go to this mission even if the Council doesn't authorize a proper rescue. He is Solin's old master, after all."

"I hope you're right," Ngema said as the red light turned green, a sign that they were invited back into the council chambers.

Keira opened the door to the chambers and led Ngema to the center, where Sabe and Elocin were now standing. The two masters nodded at Keira, who turned to face Master Ewan Neilson, one of the senior members of the Council.

"You have persuaded us to send both Master Organa and Master Trahkrik with you to Korriban," he said in his raspy voice. "The two of them will be able to provide support you would not get on their own. It is perhaps lucky that we can send the both of them with you."

"We both felt this rescue mission merited two Masters," Sabe explained. "And since we know Solin the best over the rest of the Council, it only made sense that we were the two to go."

Master Neilson nodded before he spoke again. "You must all be cautious as you reach Korriban. If you guess is correct, Keira, then Solin could very well tempt any of you into turning to the Dark Side. You must resist this and get off the planet safely. It won't be easy inside a Dark Jedi Academy, but remember your training and trust in the Force. Be safe, all of you. And may the Force be with you."


	3. Discovery on Korriban

The Jedi transport blasted out of hyperspace, giving Keira her first look at Korriban. Right away she could sense the planet's darkness, as if the Dark Side of the Force was consuming it. The prominence of the Dark Side made it difficult for her to center herself in the Force. As Bazila and Y'not piloted the transport into the atmosphere, Keira turned to the two droids standing next to her: her astromech droid A6-R4 and Sabe's protocol droid N2-T7.

"Keep your scanners running, A6," Keira commanded. "Let me know if you find anything."

A6 whistled back in reply and Keira resumed looking at the planet, which was largely rocky in terrain. There was no sunlight in sight; it was as if the Dark Side was doing what it could to hide any hint of the light. As the ship flew downward, the door to the cockpit opened and Sabe and Elocin walked in.

"Have the droids found anything yet?" Sabe asked.

"Not yet, but A6 is still scanning the planet for signs of the Academy."

As if on cue, A6 started beeping excitedly. When she was finished, N2 looked up at the Jedi and translated for them.

"It appears A6-R4 has located a large, relatively new building that stands on the outskirts of the city Dreshdae, which is the capital city of Korriban."

Keira glanced over at Sabe and Elocin, who both nodded.

"That's got to be it," Elocin said. "If it's a new building, that has to be the Sith Academy. There are no records of any other building being built on the planet, according to Korriban's databank information."

"A6, program that building's location into the computer for Bazila and Y'not," Keira commanded.

A6 whistled in reply. In moments, Bazila spoke from the pilot's chair.

"I've got the location. I'll get us there as quickly as possible."

Keira nodded at her and turned back to Sabe and Elocin.

"Can you feel it?" she asked. "It's as if the planet itself has been corrupted by the Dark Side."

"I agree," Sabe replied. "It is difficult to center oneself amongst some darkness, but it must be a haven for these Sith."

"I worry that we will find Solin corrupted," Elocin added. "Simply arriving on this planet could be overwhelming enough."

"I just hope we can try and redeem him if that's true," said Keira.

"We're just about there," Bazila said from the front of the cockpit. The Jedi all looked out of the window and saw a large building that stood on the outskirts of a nearby community. The area surrounding it was rocky; it reminded Keira of the Jundland Wastes of Tatooine, even having the same reddish color as the desert planet.

Bazila and Y'not landed the ship after what seemed an eternity. As the ship powered down, the pilots stood up, grabbing their weapons that were hanging on pole in the cockpit. Bazila grabbed her customized Vibroblade and put on her purple gloves that matched the rest of her outfit and the part of her hair that was dyed purple. Y'not pulled his sword and checked its readiness before nodding at Bazila.

"Let's go," Keira said. "The sooner we find Solin, the sooner we can get off this planet. You two," she added to A6 and N7, "stay here unless we send a distress signal to you. We'll be back as soon as we can."

She led the others out of the cockpit and through the rest of the ship. Ngema had already exited the ship and waited for them at the end of the ramp. Keira felt the atmosphere of Korriban and wasn't surprised that even the weather seemed to be affected by the Dark Side; the air was filled with a chill that was immediately noticeable.

"All right, everyone, this goes without saying, but it's important to remember: the challenges we face are great," said Elocin. "We've got to be prepared for every possible threat. Keira, is there any way you can use your Battle Meditation to assist ahead?"

Keira shook her head. "Not likely, Master. It's difficult using it when in close combat, because it's designed to be used at a distance."

"I thought so, but it didn't hurt to ask. It would be nice to have that assistance, but it's probably for the best that we all stick together."

"Is everyone ready?" Keira asked, sounding impatient. Everyone nodded. "Then let's go, and may the Force be with all of you."

With that, Keira walked to the front of the group and started walking toward the building. The terrain was rough and the cold air sent chills through them with each step they took. Keira was surprised they did not meet any Sith as they got closer to the building.

When they were a short distance from the building, Keira held up a hand to signal to the others to stop. They followed her command. Sabe stepped forward.

"What is it?" Sabe whispered into Keira's ear.

"This is definitely the Academy," Keira replied as quietly as she could. "Look ahead. I can see a couple of Sith standing guard outside of it."

Sabe turned and squinted toward the front of the building. He could make out three figures dressed in black cloaks with their hoods raised. Sabe probed the Force and could sense the Dark Side swimming through the figures with ease. He turned back to Keira and nodded at her.

"All right, everyone, the time has come," Keira hissed to the others. "Let's do this."

Keira started to walk faster than before toward the door. The others scrambled to reach her, each of them holding their weapons at the ready, prepared to fight. When they reached the three Sith outside the Academy, they stopped only when the center Sith raised his hand for them to halt.

"We knew you were coming, Jedi, though I won't deny that we were not anticipating so many of you," said the man, his voice scratchy. "But your efforts on this planet are futile. You will not succeed in finding your friend. However, we Sith are not above having more recruits join us at the Academy."

"Don't try it," Keira retorted, igniting her lightsaber. "We're not hear to listen to you talk about the Dark Side and its supposed glory."

"How disappointing," the Sith replied, his lips curling into a mad smile. "Very well, then. We'll just have to kill you so Lord Nacluv can reward us."

The Sith ignited his lightsaber and made to impale Keira with it, but she blocked it with ease as Ngema ignited her lightsaber and counter-attacked. The group of six then broke into three groups of two, with Elocin and Sabe, and Bazila and Y'not taking on the Sith in two-on-one duels. Within moments, all three Sith apprentices has been struck down.

"Well that wasn't too difficult, but I shudder to think what we'll find in there," said Keira. "Let's keep going."

Keira bent down and pulled an identification card off of the body of the lead Sith apprentice who had spoken to them. She then led the others to the door, where she pressed the card against the panel outside of it. The panel turned green and the large door opened. Inside, several Sith who were conducting training exercises froze in their tracks as they saw the group in the doorway.

Before the Sith could react, the Jedi leapt forward and engaged them in combat, with Bazila and Y'not in tow. There were about a dozen Sith of the room, but because of the group's sudden appearance, they were caught off guard and were cut down in a matter of seconds. Once all of the Sith were defeated, the Jedi deactivated their lightsabers, but kept hold of them.

"I can sense Solin is close," said Ngema.

Keira nodded. "I can, too. But I can also sense there is some sort of barrier blocking our path to him. We'll have to remove whatever barrier that is, but Solin is close."

"Let's keep moving," said Sabe.

Keira turned and led them out of the entryway. She opened the door to the next room, which appeared to be an antechamber of sorts. As soon as all six of them were inside, the door shut beside them. Bazila and Y'not hurried to the panel next to it.

"The controls are overridden," Bazila said as Y'not growled in agony . "We're stuck in here."

"Never mind that for now," said Keira. "We have to keep going."

At that, they heard cold laughter echoing through the room. They looked ahead and saw a man walking toward the center of the room, clapping his hands. They stepped forward hesitantly as the man kept laughing and clapping as if he were congratulating them.

"Well done, my friends, well done," he said in a drawling voice. Up close, Keira could see a deep red scar on the man's forehead and wondered for a moment where he got it. "You've done extremely well in getting past the apprentices at the front of the Academy."

"Who are you?" Keira demanded.

"I? I am Lord Tobos, the leader of this Sith Academy and the original apprentice of Lord Nacluv!"

"Where's Solin?" Keira snarled.

Tobos cackled. "You'll have to get through me if you want to find that out. And I'll warn you, Jedi, I have received all of my training from Lord Nacluv himself, so don't think a group of you is going to be able to defeat me."

"We will see!" Elocin exclaimed as she ignited her lightsaber and sent a powerful Force push at Tobos, sending him tumbling into a section of wall. She then waved her hand at the panel to the door behind where Tobos had been standing. "You three!" she shouted to Keira, Ngema and Sabe, "get into that room and find Solin! We'll handle Solin!"

Without responding, Keira, Ngema and Sabe ran through the antechamber, past Tobos in the corner and rushed through the door, which shut behind them. As soon as the door closed, Tobos stood up and resumed laughing.

"You've done well, Jedi," he mused. "I suppose I misjudged you. Still, your friends won't survive the next room. Once I have dealt with you, I will make sure your friends will not survive."

"Oh, I think they will," Elocin retorted as she walked toward Tobos. Bazila and Y'not followed her, their weapons raised and ready for combat. "They have survived your master before, Tobos."

"You're mistaken, Jedi," Tobos said as he laughed some more and ignited his blood red lightsaber that mirrored the scar on his forehead in color. "My Master is not in that room. Your dear friend Solin is there, waiting to confront his old friends."

* * *

With that, Tobos let out an animal-like roar as he leapt toward Elocin, who dropped into a defensive stance and easily blocked the attack before pushing Tobos away and advancing on him with Bazila and Y'not. Tobos simply smiled at them as the Dark Side surged through him.

Keira, Ngema and Sabe hurried through the next room, which appeared to them to be the center of the Sith Academy. Several ramps branched off in several directions to doors leading to other areas in the Academy. In the middle of the room, a hooded figure sat meditating. The Jedi kept their lightsabers held, but did not activate them as they approached the figure. Once they reached the figure, it stood up and lowered his hood.

"Solin!" Keira exclaimed when she saw her old master's face for the first time in more than a month. But, relief did not course through her as she expected. Instead, she felt a crippling fear as she sensed the presence of the Dark Side surrounding Solin. "Are you all right?"

Solin laughed, but it wasn't the laugh they knew at all. It was devoid of emotion and rang through the room, sending shivers down their spines.

"I am no longer Solin, my old apprentice, though I haven't been given a new name," he said in a dark tone. "I am Lord Nacluv's new apprentice and second-in-command."

"NO!" screamed Keira in despair.

"You can't have turned to the Dark Side!" added Ngema.

Solin cackled and raised his hands, sending Force Lightning at Ngema, which forced her to her knees. The attack was not fatal, but it was strong enough to stun Ngema for several seconds.

"You see?" said Solin. "If I were a Jedi, I would not have done that."

"Solin, you know turning to the Dark Side is wrong!" Keira pleaded. "You're a good person, don't do this!"

"Don't try to redeem me, Keira, it won't work," Solin retorted, sounding angry. "Lord Nacluv helped show me how the Jedi were using me simply to get at him. I didn't come here because I chose to, I did it because I was ordered to in order to preserve the Jedi Order."

"You know that's not true, Solin," said Sabe. "You were the one to ask us to send you here so yo could confront Vulcan on your terms. And you of all people should know that Vulcan is just using you. As soon as your usefulness to him wears out, he'll toss you aside, Solin."

"Spare me the lecture, Sabe. Your words are meaningless to me. Now, enough chat, my old friends. The time has come for me to prove myself to Lord Nacluv."

At that, Solin drew his lightsaber, which Keira recognized immediately until he ignited it and a red blade came out of it. He threw his cloak off and charged toward his former comrades, who all ignited their lightsabers, resigned to having to face their friend.

* * *

Tobos seemed incapable of wearing down during his duel with Elocin, Bazila and Y'not. Though their trio consisted of a Jedi Master, a smuggler who drew up with a rough life and a Wookie with brute strength, they didn't seem able to gain an advantage over Tobos. Luckily for them, Tobos wasn't able to gain the upper hand, either.

Elocin tried to center herself in the Force as she moved to attack Tobos, who sensed her temporary distraction and kicked her hard in the chest, knocking her to the floor. Her lightsaber rolled several feet away from her. Tobos then turned to Y'not and sent a powerful Force push at the Wookie, sending Y'not into a wall, stunning him. The Sith Lord then turned to face Bazila, who had already hurried forward to attack him.

Bazila had never faced such an opponent. Though she had grown up in the Lower City of Taris surrounded by violent gangs she had to defend herself from, nothing could have prepared her for this. She was able to hold her own against Tobos, but found herself wearing down mere seconds into their one-on-one fight. Tobos sensed her exhaustion and laughed as he forced Bazila's arms in the air along with her staff, and he sliced at her leg.

Bazila screamed in pain. She had never felt anything like it, which was saying something because she had taken a handful of blaster bolts during various missions in her life. She collapsed as her leg buckled and she dropped her staff, which rolled away from her.

An angry grow roared through the room as Y'not charged to Tobos, his sword raised. Tobos simply smiled and raised his hand. As he did, Y'not stopped in his tracks, dropping his sword and holding on to his throat; Tobos was Force choking him. The Sith Lord laughed mercilessly as he strangled the Wookie slowly, enjoying seeing the beast suffer at his hands.

"TOBOS!" called a voice from several feet away. Tobos glanced over just as Elocin shouted, "DODGE THIS!" and a large piece of stone from the wall came hurtling toward Tobos, who had to cut off the Choke to move out of the way in time.

"YOU!" Tobos screamed, turning to face Elocin, who had her lightsaber held in her hand and looked triumphant. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT, JEDI SCUM!"

Tobos charged toward Elocin, his lightsaber raised to kill her. He stopped when he saw Elocin turn off her lightsaber, keeping the hilt held. Tobos stared at her and then laughed again.

"Do you surrender, Jedi? If you are, would you like me to end your life quickly?"

"You won't have to," Elocin replied, smiling at Tobos. That smile made him feel uneasy.

"What do you-" Tobos started to say when he was suddenly lifted off his feet and was being choked. Tobos tried to turn around, but the furry hand holding him by the neck was too strong. He dropped his lightsaber, which deactivated as it hit the ground. Tobos struggled for breath as Y'not growled angrily at him. He tried to use a Force power on Y'not, but couldn't concentrate since he was losing oxygen so quickly. Within seconds, Tobos' body went limp as he lost consciousness.

Y'not dropped Tobos onto the ground roughly. The Sith Lord landed with a hard thud. Y'not looked up and saw Bazila walking toward him and Elocin. She was limping, but appeared well otherwise. Y'not barked questions at Bazila as she reached them.

"Yeah, I'm fine, buddy," Bazila replied. "Just a little sore, is all."

* * *

Solin found it easy to hold off Keira, Ngema and Sabe. Having been trained under Sabe and training Keira himself, he knew all of their favorite moves; Ngema had learned from Keira. Though he was able to hold his own, he found it difficult to gain an advantage over his former comrades, even with the Dark Side of the Force coursing through his veins and fueling his every move. He decided to change tactics in order to get the upper hand.

He pushed Keira away from him with his lightsaber before he raised his lightsaber and stabbed it into the ground. This created a Force wave that sent Sabe and Ngema flying through the room and into the wall. They both fell to the ground, unconscious, as their lightsabers fell away. Solin smiled and turned back to Keira.

Keira leapt up and unleashed a barrage of attacks against Solin, who was taken aback. He had forgotten how Keira got when she lost herself in combat; it was as if she was the Force and it was flowing through her and commanding her every move. He had to center himself and rely solely on his combat abilities in order to keep up with Keira. Solin started to fear he had underestimated his former apprentice and worried what would happen if he failed.

Sensing Solin was distracted, Keira managed to kick him in the chest, which sent Solin stumbling to the ground and his lightsaber bounced several feet away. Keira pointed her lightsaber at Solin's heart, the adrenaline pumping through her quickly. Solin looked up at his former apprentice with fear in his eyes. As Keira held Solin at her mercy, she heard two lightsabers ignite and saw Sabe and Ngema approach them in her peripheral vision.

"Solin, I know this isn't you," Keira said, the pleading evident in her tone. "You know that this isn't the real you. You know right from wrong. I can sense the conflict in you, my old master. Nacluv hasn't driven the good out of you completely. Turn away from the Dark Side, Solin. Come back with us and help us stop this evil from spreading."

To Keira's disappointment, Solin simply laughed at her.

"Sorry, my friends, but you will fail in that regard," he said before his hand shot up and another powerful Force Wave engulfed the room, hurtling the Jedi away from him. Solin jumped to his feet and called his lightsaber to him before he ran from the room. Solin ran through the door the Jedi had arrived in and opened it with a lazy wave of his hand.

"We've got to stop him!" Keira shouted as she stood up and ran after Solin. She heard Sabe and Ngema following her. When they reached the antechamber, they had enough time to see Solin blast Elocin, Bazila and Y'not away from Tobos and kick Tobos awake before the two Sith fled the antechamber.

"We'll meet again, my friends!" Solin shouted as he and Tobos disappeared.

When Keira saw the blurs of Solin and Tobos fade, she fell to her knees in despair.

"Solin….how could he?" she asked, sounding out of breath.

"I know, Master," Ngema replied, putting a hand a Keira's shoulder. "I can't believe it either."

"It's going to be impossible to redeem him."

"Keira, don't think like that," said Sabe in a kind tone. "There is always hope for redemption. You know that. You said yourself you could sense Nacluv hasn't wiped away all of Solin. I could sense it, too. There is still a chance we can redeem him."

Keira nodded as she stood back up but did not speak up. She seemed at a loss of words after seeing and dueling Solin.

"We should get out of here," Elocin suggested. "We need to get back to Coruscant and bring the Council up to speed on what we've found here."


	4. Debate in the Senate

Senator Hatt Mobbs, the former King of Ord Mantell, stood outside of the Senate Hall, dressed in black robes. To his right, his longtime bodyguard, Captain Jun Menousek, stood dressed in his usual white battle robes, which rivaled those worn by Mobbs. They were waiting to be admitted into the Senate Hall for a special session of Congress. After what seemed an eternity, the doors into their Senate pod opened and they walked inside.

Mobbs and Captain Menousek walked onto their pod and sat down, waiting for the session to begin. They glanced around and saw the representatives of the other planets filing into their pods to begin the session.

"It looks like everyone was able to make it, Senator," Captain Menousek said as he looked around at all of the pods. "I don't see anyone missing."

"That's good," replied Senator Mobbs. "I think the full Senate needs to hear what I have to say. If we're lucky, the Chancellor may call for a vote now, but I won't hold my breath."

At that, the Chancellor's Podium rose in the center of the room. Chancellor Nvled Jear, Ord Mantell's former Senator before his election to Chancellor, stood in the center, surrounded by two aides, who Senator Mobbs recognized as Rose Girg and Owen Spier. It was several seconds before the podium finished rising and the chatter in the room died down before Chancellor Jear spoke.

"Good day, representatives of the Republic," he said in a commanding voice. "I have called this session of Congress at the request of Senator Hatt Mobbs of the sovereign system of Ord Mantell. I yield the floor to the good Senator at this time."

Senator Mobbs stood up and pressed the button to release his pod, which floated into the open chamber and close to the Chancellor's Podium. Once it had slowed down and started to hover in the air, Mobbs spoke.

"My fellow representatives of the Republic: I asked for this special of the Senate in order to propose a matter that I believe should be voted on by the Senate as quickly as possible. It should be decided immediately in order to ensure a return to diplomacy as we fight this great war. I am calling on the Senate to vote to allow more forceful action against the groups led by Malastare."

At this, several senators shouted their indignation at Mobbs, but Mobbs pressed on, his voice booming through the room. "I understand the hesitation in doing so, but I must insist on it. This is necessary because of our failure to convict General Zhanga Nute, who has returned to Malastare to continue that planet's strikes against the Republic."

"I object!" yelled a voice.

Mobbs stopped speaking and turned to see the source of the voice. He was not at all surprised to see it was Governor Surik, still representing Malastare in the Senate despite the events on Ord Mantell three years earlier. Surik had programmed his pod to float around the center of the room opposite Mobbs.

"As the Senate is well aware, General Nute was cleared of all charges against him regarding the events on Ord Mantell," said Governor Surik, sounding triumphant. "And he went through the appropriate procedures as the charges against him were brought, and as the charges were dropped, General Nute was free to do as he pleased."

"It does not matter that General Nute was cleared of charges when the threat he poses is here and now, Governor Surik," Mobbs retorted, sounding angry. "And besides that, as I'm sure all of my fellow representatives are aware, Republic Intelligence has found that the Dark Jedi known as Sith are becoming more involved in this conflict and are using their powers to recruit more followers to their cause. They are also striking at worlds with high numbers of Force-sensitive individuals.

"It is my belief that these events are happening in order to turn more people to the cause of the defectors. And I believe the Republic should counter this by allowing the Jedi Order to become more actively involved in seeking out these Sith and their allies in order to bring an end to this conflict."

Mobbs stopped speaking as hundreds of representatives started to protest him loudly. He let them carry on for several seconds before he spoke again.

"Wake up, Senators and Representatives, you must wake up!" Mobbs pleaded. "We must recognize the severity of this conflict. If we continue with little assistance from the Jedi, the conflict will drag on and on and more lives will be lost. But if the Jedi are involved and assist our troops in eliminating the Sith threat, we can bring about a much faster end to this conflict and restore diplomacy to the Republic."

The protests continued for several seconds after Mobbs finished speaking. Though a large portion of the representatives sounded as if they were jeering at Mobbs' request, he could several senators yelling in support of Mobbs' request. After nearly a minute of letting the protests carry on, Chancellor Jear's aide Owen Spear spoke up.

"ORDER!" he shouted. "We shall have order!"

The protesting quieted instantly as Chancellor Jear stood up in his podium to speak.

"Senator Mobbs, I do understand why you feel your request is necessary," he said somberly. "And I do understand the concerns of the other delegates of the Senate. Because of that, I believe this matter requires more discussion and debate. I will call for a special session of the Senate in the near future in order for the Senate to discuss your suggestion and take a vote on the matter."

"Thank you, Chancellor Jear," Senator Mobbs said, sounding satisfied.

"Now, if there is nothing further, the Senate will adjourn for the day. I shall send word once I have decided on a time to vote on this matter."


	5. Attack on the Temple

Lord Nacluv sat in his meditation chamber aboard his private starship in deep space. He was floating in midair with his hood raised, meditating heavily. He was alone in his chamber and preferred it that way at all times. It was when he heard beeping that Nacluv let himself down onto the ground and accept the incoming message. When he pressed the button, a hologram of Tosan appeared in front of him. His apprentice hadn't yet been able to replace his broken mask, but still kept his face hidden using Nacluv's preferred method of raising his head.

"Yes, Tosan? What news do you bring?" Nacluv hissed.

"My Lord, the Chancellor has agreed to call a special session of the Senate in order to debate and discuss allowing the Jedi to have a bigger role in their fight against us," Tosan reported.

Delight spread through Lord Nacluv at hearing this news.

"Excellent," he said, his tone barely able to conceal his glee. "You have done well, my apprentice. It appears our plans to provoke the Republic deeper into this conflict is working. I will need you to keep me updated on this matter, Tosan."

"As you command, my Lord."

"Good. Now, have you heard from my second-in-command?"

"He has made contact and he has arrived on the planet," Tosan said in a bored tone. "I offered my services to him, but he insisted on handling it himself."

"That will do, Tosan. He will be able to handle this assignment himself. And of course it would be better for the Jedi not to discover your public image and your Sith image are one in the same. We need to keep that up as long as possible."

"Yes, my Master."

"I shall contact you when the assignment is completed, Tosan," Nacluv said. "From there, we can prepare our next moves. Soon, the Sith will rule the galaxy."

* * *

Sabe stood in front of the Jedi Council with the rest of the group that had been sent to Korriban. He was updating the Council on the events in the Academy. As he did so, Ngema stopped listening as an uneasy feeling grew inside her. She couldn't place what it was, but sensed it was something ominous. Ngema glanced outside, but did not see anything out of the ordinary, but that did nothing to quench her nervousness. She shook it off as best as she could and focused again on Sabe's report.

"...from there, Solin was able to use a Force Wave in order to subdue Elocin, Bazila and Y'not long enough to escape with the Lord Tobos person we encountered. As they were escaping, Solin declared that we would meet again. The two of them vanished and we escaped the Academy, meeting no further resistance. We were able to get off the planet and return here without any trouble."

"Very well, Master Organa," said Master Park. "We will consider everything you have told us as we plan our next move regarding Solin. We will, of course, keep all of you informed of what's to come. Now, is there anything else we should be aware of?"

"Yes, Master Park," said Elocin, standing forward, her hood raised, but not covering her eyes, as it usually did when she was not sitting in her Jedi Council seat. "Based on my observations of young Bazila here, I believe she is Force sensitive and I recommend her for training if it pleases the Council."

Ngema glanced around again, the uneasy feeling filling her with apprehension. This time, it felt more urgent, like something was about to happen. Still, she could not place where this feeling was coming from.

"...as you wish, Master Trahkrik," said Master Park as Ngema focused again on the Council, still unable to shake off the nasty feeling. It must have shown on her face because Master Park turned to her. "Is something on your mind, Ngema? You appear uneasy."

"I'm not sure what it is, Master," Ngema replied truthfully. "I just have a bad feeling. It's as if something terrible is happening or is about to happen. I can't place it, but I have this feeling of dread."

"That's likely because of the shock of the events you experienced on Korriban," Master Park said rather dismissively. "I'm not too surprised; the effects of something so traumatic can be lasting. It shall pass, I'm sure." He then looked at the rest of the group. "You all did well in attempting to rescue Solin. While it's not too surprising that he has turned to the Dark Side of the Force, it changes the sense of urgency regarding him. As I said, we shall keep you informed and -"

A loud explosion rumbled the room, sending everyone staggering through the Council chambers. It rocked the entire building and seemed to come from outside. The Jedi all spent several moments after the explosion trying to regain their composure. Alarms started blaring throughout the Temple. Keira was able to recover faster than the others and hurried over to the window.

Outside of the Jedi Temple, a large command ship stood about a hundred feet from the Temple as hundreds of people came marching out of it and toward the Temple. Keira glanced down and saw the leader of the bunch, who was wearing a black robe that was hooded, and carried a red lightsaber. She recognized the walk immediately.

"It's Solin!" she cried. "He's leading a battalion of Sith into the Temple!"

At that, ten lightsaber ignited simultaneously as the members of the Jedi Council armed themselves.

"Quickly, we must hurry!" Master Park urged. "We must prevent this attack and protect the Temple at all costs. On my mark, Jedi Council!"

Master Park turned and ran out of the room, with the rest of the Jedi Council following behind, except for Sabe and Elocin, both of whom were white with shock. Y'not growled in a frightened tone as Bazila put an arm on him to keep him calm.

"It's all right, buddy, we'll do whatever it takes to stay safe," she said.

"Master Organa, I need your counsel," Keira said, hurrying up to Sabe. "I know I don't want to see Solin get hurt, but if it means he is captured and we can redeem him, I'll confront him myself if I have to."

"Let's worry about Solin when the time comes," Sabe replied as he ignited his yellow lightsaber. "For now, we must assist the Jedi Council in defending the Temple from this attack."

Keira nodded and ignited her own sky blue lightsaber, while Ngema and Elocin both activated theirs as well. She turned to Bazila and Y'not, who still had their weapons on hand.

"Are you two with us?" she demanded.

"Always," Bazila replied. "We'll do whatever it takes to keep the Temple safe."

"Then let's go!"

Keira rushed out of the room and heard the others follow her. She led them through the halls of the Temple, which seemed endless until they finally reached the entrance. She saw dozens of Sith in the room dueling any Jedi that stood in their path. Near the back of the entrance hall, Keira saw the bodies of all of the Jedi Council.

"Solin must have killed them all," Keira announced to the rest of the group. "But I can sense he is near. Let's move to the next room and see if we can find him and put an end to this attack."

She led them into the next room, where more bodies of fallen Jedi littered the floor. The sight made Keira feel squeamish, especially knowing that it was Solin who had committed all of those horrible deeds.

"None of the youngling are around," Sabe observed. "It's good to see that someone saw to it that they, at least, were able to escape."

Keira nodded as she looked toward the center of the room where she saw Solin dueling two Jedi. She hurried forward to assist them, but Sabe ran ahead of her and held her back.

"Let's not let him know that we're here," Sabe whispered into her ear. "We might be able to surprise him and get an advantage."

"All right," Keira replied, feeling irritated. She bit back a retort as she watched Solin dispatch the two Jedi dueling him with easy. Solin then turned toward her and smiled. He slowly started to advance on them and Keira sighed, preparing her lightsaber for a duel.

Suddenly, a powerful Force Wave sent Solin to the ground, momentarily stunning him. As he got back to his feet, a figure dressed in golden robes approached him with their hood raised. Keira recognized the robes, but couldn't place who they belonged to. When the figure reached Solin and ignited a gold lightsaber, he lowered his hood.

"Chancellor Jear?" Keira exclaimed, confusion spreading through her body like it never had before. "He's a Jedi?" she asked, turning to Sabe, who nodded at her.

"I'll explain later," he muttered as Solin started to laugh.

"So, Chancellor Jear, you're a Jedi," Solin mused as he reignited his lightsaber. "How amusing. Tell me, how long have you held this secret?"

"For as long as I've been a public servant, Solin," Jear replied calmly. Keira could sense the power of the Force radiating off of him. The Force flowed through the Chancellor as it did with every member of the Jedi Council. She wondered how she had never known it before. "I served the Jedi Order in my youth before I started to represent Ord Mantell in the Senate."

"Fascinating," Solin replied dryly, though he still looked rather amused. "But I'm afraid I don't have time for a history lecture about a politician who became a Jedi. I have a mission to complete, after all. I will simply have to kill you and my friends before I can leave."

Solin leapt forward and sliced at Chancellor Jear, who easily blocked his attack and countered with a powerful swipe that Solin had to dodge using all of his effort. The two entered a proper lightsaber duel that was like nothing Keira had ever seen. Though she knew herself a capable combatant, she realized she would be no match for the Chancellor, who seemed totally at ease in battle. Indeed, she could sense the Force flowing through the Chancellor even more powerfully than it would a Jedi Knight, and the Force guided each of the Chancellor's moves.

Solin, too, seemed to sense the Chancellor's immense power. After several minutes of being unable to gain an advantage in the duel, he backed off his attacks and started pacing the area around the Chancellor.

"Well done, Chancellor, well done," he said in that dark tone Keira so despised hearing. "You are clearly one powerful Force user. We could use your abilities in the Order of the Sith Lords. I know Lord Nacluv would be personally interested in seeing what you could do for us. All you need to do is embrace the Dark Side. Join us, Chancellor!"

"I'll never fall to the Dark Side! I serve the Republic faithfully."

"Fool!" Solin spat as he rushed forward to attack the Chancellor again. Jear blocked his attack and intensity of his counterattacks and blocking seemed to grow greater. As they dueled, Solin could sense the Dark Side surrounding him and tried to use it to his advantage. When he was unsuccessful, he managed to leap away from the Chancellor and resume his pacing.

"Ah, I can sense the taint of the Dark Side within you, Chancellor," he mused. "I sense it is moments away from consuming you fully. Soon, you will join the Sith and it will be willingly."

"You're a fool if you think that, Solin," Jear retorted. "I am merely channeling the Dark Side into my combat. It's a lightsaber form I have perfected and it's one that can be deadly against any opponent, including a Sith Lord."

"We'll see about that," Solin snarled as he rushed to attack Jear, who blocked it almost lazily. As they resumed their duel, Solin attempted to employ Force attacks against the Chancellor, but could not find an opening to land one successfully. Instead, his attempts ripped up several of the bookshelves in the room and shattered several vases, making a mess of the room. During one of Solin's half hearted attempts to use the Force, Chancellor Jear was able to use an opening to land a kick on Solin's chest, which sent him stumbling to the ground. His lightsaber rolled several feet away and he did not have time to try and retrieve it as Chancellor Jear approached him with his lightsaber held at Solin's throat.

"Your reign of evil ends now!" Jear declared.

Before Jear could attack him, Soling laughed and blasted Force Lighting at him.

"No! You and your precious Jedi Order will die!" Solin yelled in a completely unrecognizable tone.

Jear was able to bring his lightsaber upward and block the lightning firing at him. Though he strained against it, he was able to reach out with the Force and found the strength he needed. It propelled him forward and he slowly advanced on Solin. As he did, the lightning rebounded and started to shock Solin, who convulsed violently as he was hit and screamed in pain. Just as Chancellor Jear stood over Solin, the lightning stopped emitting from his friends and Solin stopped moving, his eyes closed.

Chancellor Jear deactivated his lightsaber, but kept the hilt held. He looked over Solin for a few moments before turning to face the rest of the group. He was about to walk to them when he heard a laugh and found himself being flung across the room as Solin leapt up and called his lightsaber back to him.

"Foolish Jedi! You were wrong to assume I was dead!"

Solin leapt toward Jear, who had fallen to the ground in pain, and raised his lightsaber for the killing blow. As he brought it down in front of him, Solin was surprised to see a sky blue blade block his attack. He looked up and saw Keira, determination in her eyes, and his mood shifted to delight as he dwelled on the prospect of fighting his apprentice again.

Solin's glee turned to fear as he attacked Keira and saw the Chancellor stand up again out of the corner of his eye. He could also sense the rest of his former comrades closing in on him. As he pushed Keira away with the force of his strength, he kicked Chancellor Jear away from him before Solin raised his lightsaber and stabbed it into the ground. Just as it had on Korriban, it sent a tremendous Force Wave through the room, which sent the Jedi tumbling to the ground.

As soon as the Jedi had fallen, Solin raised his lightsaber and deactivated it as he ran from the room. Keira shook off the stunned feeling and centered herself in the Force for a moment before she turned to the others.

"Hurry!" she shouted. "We've got to stop him!"

Keira rushed out of the room and sensed the others, including Chancellor Jear, standing up and following her. As she ran toward the entrance, she heard Solin's voice magnified through the Temple shouting, "Retreat!" Keira ran as hard as she could to the entrance. Just as she and the others reached it, ray shields activated and they had to freeze in order to avoid crashing into them. When they had all recovered from the sudden stop, Keira peered through the shields and saw Solin running away from the doors, headed toward the command ship with the rest of the Sith.

"Damn it," Sabe said. "He must've activated the emergency ray shields. It'll take a while before we can deactivate them."

"Then we won't bother," Keira said, turning and rushing out of the entrance hall. The others followed her, hurrying to catch up.

"Keira, what are you doing?" Sabe demanded.

"We're going to the hangers," Keira replied shortly as she stopped running and faced the others. "We're going to find a ship and follow that command ship off of this planet. I'm going to redeem Solin no matter the cost. And then he will take me to Nacluv or I will track him down myself in order to confront him for the destruction of my dear friend and the Jedi Temple. Are you all with me?"

Everyone looked at her with looks of apprehension. She could sense that they understood her resolve and did not want to stop her. After several moments, they all nodded at her.

"Then let's move. And may the Force be with us."


End file.
